Tesla has slapped a shocking $15,000 price hike on its most expensive Cybertruck model — even as the futuristic pickup continues to underwhelm with lackluster sales and embarrassing recalls.
The electric vehicle giant raised the cost of its top-tier Cyberbeast variant to $114,990 — a brazen move that defies the truck’s troubled rollout and mounting competition from rival automakers.
The price surge, first reported by Reuters, comes bundled with Tesla’s new “Luxe Package,” which includes Supervised Full Self-Driving technology and complimentary access to the company’s Supercharger network.
But the hefty increase is an indication of just how far Tesla has strayed from CEO Elon Musk’s original 2019 promise of a roughly $40,000 starting price for the angular pickup.
When the Cybertruck finally launched in late 2023 after years of delays, Tesla had already abandoned that affordable target by setting the base model at $60,990 — more than 50% higher than Musk’s initial pitch.
The latest price jump pushes the premium model nearly three times beyond the original vision, highlighting Tesla’s struggle to deliver on its founder’s ambitious cost projections.
Meanwhile, competitors are chipping away at Tesla’s market share by offering consumers more attractive pricing.
Ford’s F-150 Lightning and Chevrolet’s Silverado EV both offer lower entry prices on certain trim levels, intensifying pressure as Tesla moves in the opposite direction.
The pricing strategy comes against the backdrop of the Cybertruck’s poor market performance. Tesla has been forced to offer hefty discounts of around $10,000 on inventory units that aren’t moving off lots.
Sales figures tell a sobering story for the company that once dominated electric vehicle headlines. The pickup represents only a tiny fraction of Tesla’s overall deliveries, with demand clearly fading in light of quality concerns.
While Tesla refuses to disclose specific Cybertruck delivery numbers, industry observers can piece together the disappointing reality from recall data.
A March recall covering approximately 46,000 vehicles built from the November 2023 launch through February 2025 suggests cumulative sales remain far below Tesla’s production capacity targets.
That recall timeline spans more than a year of deliveries, yet the affected vehicle count falls dramatically short of Musk’s bold production promises.
The Tesla chief previously boasted the company could manufacture more than 125,000 Cybertrucks annually, with potential to reach 250,000 units in 2025. Current sales data makes those targets look increasingly fantastical.
Musk had warned of a “difficult production ramp” for the unconventional pickup, but the challenges have proven more severe than anticipated.
The Cybertruck’s rocky debut has been plagued by repeated recalls and persistent quality issues that have tarnished its reputation among potential buyers.
The vehicle’s polarizing design — featuring sharp angles and stainless steel panels — initially generated massive buzz and hundreds of thousands of pre-orders.
But translating that early excitement into actual sales has proven elusive as production delays mounted and competitors launched their own electric pickup alternatives.
The Post has sought comment from Tesla.
